First Division Museum at Cantigny
The First Division Museum at Cantigny is a non-profit military history museum in Wheaton, Illinois, that preserves and presents the history of the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division. Fully endowed by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, it offers free admission, permanent and rotating exhibits, digital archives, and educational programs for the public, schools, researchers, and veterans.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersWheaton, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What First Division Museum at Cantigny does
The First Division Museum at Cantigny is a non-profit military history museum located at 1s151 Winfield Road in Wheaton, Illinois, dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of the 1st Infantry Division (nicknamed the "Big Red One" or "Fighting First"), the oldest continuous division in the US Army, formed in 1917. The museum's core product portfolio includes permanent exhibits (First in War covering WWI through Vietnam, Duty First covering the 1970s to present, and the outdoor Tank Park), rotating special exhibits (currently Hamilton's 5th Artillery: 250 Years and Nothing But Victory), and a research infrastructure comprising the Digital Archives, Dawson Archival Collection, Medal of Honor Recipient records, and the McCormick Research Center. Educational programming for K-12 schools, scout groups, and veteran outreach — including field trips, history trunks, veteran speakers, and guided tours — forms a secondary product line.
The museum operates on a fully-endowed funding model: the Robert R. McCormick Foundation provides complete financial support, the museum does not charge admission, and cash donations are not accepted. Revenue mechanics are therefore endowment-driven rather than transaction-based. The institution has 13 employees, a single physical facility, and relies on its website, email newsletter, and social media for outreach. The underlying technology stack is conventional — a WordPress-based website (hosted on WP Engine), online digital archives, and standard e-learning resources — with no proprietary platform or technology moat. The museum's competitive position rests on its exclusive curatorial mandate over a specific military division's history and its integration into the broader Robert R. McCormick Foundation / Cantigny Park cultural ecosystem, rather than on technological differentiation.
First Division Museum at Cantigny firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- First Division Museum at Cantigny
- Legal name
- First Division Museum
- Website
- https://firstdivisionmuseum.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The First Division Museum at Cantigny is a non-profit military history museum in Wheaton, Illinois, that preserves and presents the history of the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division. Fully endowed by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, it offers free admission, permanent and rotating exhibits, digital archives, and educational programs for the public, schools, researchers, and veterans.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
First Division Museum at Cantigny industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Military History Museum / Cultural Institution
- NAICS
- Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)
Keywords
Where First Division Museum at Cantigny is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wheaton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
First Division Museum at Cantigny business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation Endowment: The museum is fully endowed by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation and does not charge admission. The foundation provides ongoing funding to support operations, exhibitions, and educational programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Free Admission |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
First Division Museum at Cantigny product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The First Division Museum at Cantigny is a free-admission military history museum that preserves and presents the story of the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division ("The Big Red One") through permanent galleries, rotating special exhibitions, artifact collections, and a research center. The museum supplements its exhibits with educational programs for school groups, veterans' oral histories, and public programming on the broader Cantigny Park campus.
Product overview
The First Division Museum at Cantigny is a military history museum offering a unified portfolio of exhibits, educational programs, and archival resources focused on the 1st Infantry Division (Big Red One). Core offerings include permanent exhibits (First in War, Duty First, Tank Park), special rotating exhibits (such as Hamilton's 5th Artillery), and research services (Digital Archives, Dawson Archival Collection, McCormick Research Center). The museum also provides education programs including field trips, history trunks, veteran speakers, and guided tours. All offerings are tied to preserving and presenting the history of the 1st Infantry Division and related military history.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- First Division Museum Exhibits
Companies that use First Division Museum at Cantigny
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
First Division Museum at Cantigny technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
First Division Museum at Cantigny partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Cantigny ParkminorThe museum is located within Cantigny Park, which has its own admission fee. Cantigny is the former estate of Col. Robert R. McCormick. The organizations share branding and visitor experiences.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
First Division Museum at Cantigny competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Museum of the Marine Corps: A military-branch museum covering the history of the U.S. Marine Corps. It is directly comparable in mission and operations — curating branch-specific military history with permanent exhibits, archives, and education programs for the public.
- National Infantry Museum: Located at Fort Benning, GA, this museum is dedicated to the U.S. Infantry and shares First Division Museum's military-branch specialization, exhibit-driven historical interpretation, and educational programming for school and veteran audiences.
- U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center: Located at Carlisle, PA, this Army center preserves Army history through exhibits and a major research archive. It competes with First Division Museum for researchers, historians, and military history educators interested in Army heritage.
- Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum: A Pittsburgh-based military history museum and memorial. Comparable as a community-anchored military museum preserving U.S. military heritage through exhibits, archives, and educational programming for veterans and the public.
- Pritzker Military Museum & Library: A Chicago-area military history museum and research library. It directly overlaps First Division Museum on military archives, research services, and educational programming, and competes for the same regional Midwest audience.
- National Veterans Memorial and Museum: A Columbus, OH-based museum dedicated to veterans of all U.S. conflicts. It overlaps with First Division Museum on veteran-focused programming, exhibits, and community engagement around military service history.
- Airborne & Special Operations Museum: A U.S. Army branch-related museum in Fayetteville, NC, focused on airborne and special operations forces. Comparable in scope (specialty Army unit history), exhibit-driven model, and educational programming focus.
Others
- Cantigny Park: The former McCormick estate in Wheaton, IL, where the museum is co-located. Operated by the same parent foundation, Cantigny Park shares visitor traffic, branding, and event programming with the First Division Museum but is a broader gardens/museum destination.
Broad incumbents
- National Museum of the United States Army: The U.S. Army's flagship museum at Fort Belvoir, VA. It overlaps with First Division Museum on Army history exhibits, archival collections, and educational outreach but covers the entire Army rather than a single division.
- National WWII Museum: A major New Orleans-based military history museum with extensive WWII-era exhibits, archives, and educational programming. It overlaps thematically with the First Division's WWI–Vietnam narrative but operates at significantly larger scale and scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
First Division Museum at Cantigny social profiles
Digital presenceFirst Division Museum at Cantigny financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
First Division Museum at Cantigny leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
First Division Museum at Cantigny funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
First Division Museum at Cantigny M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about First Division Museum at Cantigny
What does First Division Museum at Cantigny do?
The First Division Museum at Cantigny is a free-admission military history museum that preserves and presents the story of the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division ("The Big Red One") through permanent galleries, rotating special exhibitions, artifact collections, and a research center. The museum supplements its exhibits with educational programs for school groups, veterans' oral histories, and public programming on the broader Cantigny Park campus.
Is First Division Museum at Cantigny a public or private company?
First Division Museum at Cantigny is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was First Division Museum at Cantigny founded?
First Division Museum at Cantigny was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is First Division Museum at Cantigny based?
First Division Museum at Cantigny is headquartered in Wheaton, United States, in the North America region.
How does First Division Museum at Cantigny make money?
One revenue line is on record: foundation Endowment.
Who are First Division Museum at Cantigny's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Museum of the Marine Corps, National Infantry Museum, U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center, Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum, Pritzker Military Museum & Library, National Veterans Memorial and Museum and Airborne & Special Operations Museum. Cantigny Park is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are National Museum of the United States Army and National WWII Museum.
Does First Division Museum at Cantigny have an API?
No public API is recorded for First Division Museum at Cantigny.
What industry is First Division Museum at Cantigny in?
First Division Museum at Cantigny's product category is Military History Museum / Cultural Institution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAF, Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film). Its NAICS code is 712110.